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The Executive Secretary, Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption, Prof. Sadiq Isah Raddah, has blamed some state governors on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) of being indifferent to the fight against corruption.
He apportioned the blame while speaking at a programme titled, “Anti-Corruption Situation Room (ACSR): The Imperative of State Anti-Corruption Agency”, THISDAY reports.
Recall that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) had dismissed corruption claims reportedly made against a former minority leader of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, by Itse Sagay, an anti-corruption adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari.
Mr. Akpabio, one of Mr Buhari’s nominees for ministerial slots, Premiunm Times recently reported, passed through Senate screening, Wednesday.
Mr. Sagay, a constitutional lawyer and professor, is reported to have expressed reservation about Mr Akpabio’s nomination.
“The only nominee I am not satisfied with is Godswill Akpabio. I don’t know how he got into the list. That is the only one I have a reservation about,” the Daily Post quoted Mr. Sagay to have said.
“You know when we have a programme in which anti-corruption is number one, if anybody is under investigation or not, I don’t think it is wise to include him in that list. But the president knows why he did that. Apart from that, I am quite happy with the list,” Prof. Sagay, who is the chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption, reportedly said.
However, rising in defence, the APC said the former Akwa Ibom governor “does not have any case with the EFCC or any other anti-graft agency” in Nigeria.
The party said it was surprised by the statement credited to Prof. Sagay.
“It is true that a petition was filed against the Senator at the EFCC by an Abuja-based lawyer soon after Senator Akpabio left office as our state Governor in 20I5.
“These cases were thoroughly investigated by the agency. The petitioner then withdrew the petition when he could not substantiate his allegations and the EFCC could not establish the veracity of the allegations in the petition.
“In that case, we note that Prof. Sagay was patently wrong in his assertion about the nomination of Senator Akpabio,” the APC said in a statement from its spokesperson in the state, Nkereuwem Enyongekere.
